Katie Woo

pitch grip and how he uses his sweeper slider, whatever he wants to call it, how he pairs his arsenal together.

You learn a lot about a pitcher and that is just interesting when you go and cover him every five days because you kind of know what to expect.

He also keeps to himself.

He's quiet.

He is by all means a starting pitcher, very protective of his stuff.

He has a very strict routine.

One thing that I enjoyed learning about him and the difference between the 2024 season to the 2025 season

was I realized how much he enjoyed kind of being the mentor towards a young rotation.

And that's not something that I saw in 2024.

And I asked him why.

And essentially it was because he was new to the Cardinals.

The Cardinals at the time had a very veteran heavy rotation.

They had Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn,

Miles Michaelis.

And part of the reason why he stayed in 2025, even after the organization announced that they'd be in a transition year and winning wouldn't necessarily be the priority.

He said that he wasn't completely sold that the Cardinals couldn't win in 2025.

And even if they couldn't, he really wanted to take this young rotation

and helps be a mentor for them, help guide them, help them learn.

And when you listen to him explain how he attacks hitters, what he works on in bullpen sessions, how he keeps himself healthy, those kinds of things are very valuable for the young rotation.

And I know his Cardinals tenure didn't go the way he had hoped to when he signed, but I think he's made a lasting impression on some of the young pitchers that will be filling his role next season.